Drivaware announces LaneFX - The First Active Blind Spot Exposure System

Ann Arbor, Mich., June 5, 2006 - Drivaware® Inc. today announced the production release and immediate availability of  its debut driver awareness product: LaneFX™.  LaneFX® is an innovative automotive product that transforms a vehicle's power side mirrors into an on-demand Active Blind Spot Exposure System.

Whenever a turn signal is activated, or at the press of a button, LaneFX® moves the corresponding power mirror outward to sweep and expose the vehicle's blind spot. It pauses long enough for the driver to scan for any objects that may be lurking in the blind spot zone. Then, it reliably returns the power side mirror back to its original, driver-set position.
LaneFX™'s Patent Pending technology is designed from the ground up to be entirely universal. LaneFX® works with any vehicle equipped with power mirrors, new or pre-owned, domestic or import, including the most ECU-intensive and multiplexed vehicles on the market today. LaneFX® is packed with driver awareness features and is highly-customizable to the driver's preferences. Drivers can personalize how far each mirror expands, how long it pauses, and how fast it should move altogether. All customizations can be made separately to the driver-side and passenger-side power mirrors.
Khaled Malhas, Drivaware Founder & President said: "According to NHTSA, 1 out of 25 collisions on America's highways today is due to improper lane changes/merges. Further, J.D. Power & Associates has reported that blind spot systems were the second-most requested automotive technology by consumers in 2005. We recognized that the driver awareness / lane change segment is gaining significant momentum. As a result, we designed LaneFX® as a sensor-less blind spot exposure system that is truly universal and that we can drive through multiple channels including: auto dealers, mobile electronics / aftermarket retailers, as well as the OEM and tier-1 supplier channel."

"We're always looking for added revenue opportunities from a every vehicle sale." says Jeff Scott, Principal and General Manager, Dick Scott Automotive Group based in metro Detroit, Mich., "it's always challenging to introduce aftermarket products after a customer has decided on a vehicle. We signed on with the LaneFX® Pilot Dealer Program because I was impressed with how simply the product can be demonstrated to vehicle buyers and how quickly our customers see value in its impact on their daily commute."

"We've all been taught to turn our heads away from the traffic ahead to check our blind spot. During an average blind spot check, a vehicle travels more than half of a football field, unattended!" adds Khaled Malhas, "With LaneFX™, we allow drivers to stay focused on the road ahead while showing the contents of their blind spot zone using a comfortable, familiar interface: The vehicle's side mirror."

In recently-announced OEM blind spot detection systems (such as ValeoRaytheon Systems' LaneVueT and Volvo's BLIST systems), a computer and a sensor make the critical decision on whether an object is present in the blind spot zone. Further, such systems report these results through an interface that is entirely new to the driver. In contrast, LaneFX® is a blind spot exposure system, not a detector. LaneFX® simply exposes the contents of the blind spot zone to drivers allowing them to make their own informed driving decisions. By using the vehicle's power side mirror, drivers use a familiar interface that has no learning curve as it is already associated with the act of changing lanes. 

LaneFX® is available now through select auto dealers, aftermarket retailers and directly through LaneFX.com. The current production release of the LaneFX® product line features a number of Patent Pending innovations, including:

1. Mirror Speed Boost: safely accelerates power mirror motor speeds up to 200% of OEM speed for maximum responsiveness,

2. Turn Signal Link: with "Normal" and "Sticky" turn signal modes to suit any driving style,

3. Merge Mode: holds a mirror outward for as long as the driver needs to merge into traffic,

4. Intelligent Installs Technology: LaneFX® can self-learn the electrical configuration of the host vehicle with no need for complex programming,

5. ParkFX - Park Assist & Curb Exposure System: tilts one or both side mirrors downwards when the vehicle is engaged in reverse, and

6. "Mirror-in-Motion" LED indicators.

Media Contacts:
Kimberly Simpson
Drivaware Inc.
+1.734.649.3949
kimberly.simpson@drivaware.com

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Lane FX is not a passive blind spot detector like Valeo Raytheon, Audi Side Assist or Volvo's BLIS (the latest passive car gadgets from automakers).

Change lanes by checking your vehicle's power mirrors. Why turn your head away from traffic ahead? Turn your mirror instead and stay focused on the road ahead. That's what driving safety is all about and it's a lesson that should be part of any drivers ed driver training program. The Lane FX system simply shows your vehicle's blind spot zone and is compatible with your SUV's factory and aftermarket mobile electronics like radar detectors and even factory park assist systems. LaneFX makes a great mobile technology gift for the driving safety of the commuter in your family, even if you own an Audi Q7 with Lane Assist mobile technology. It's the #1 car gadget and gift idea for auto enthusiasts, SUV owners, and high-mileage commuters.

Compare Backup Sensors & Cameras to ParkFX for the Most Reliable Backup Warning Technology

Not all reversing aids are equal. The sensing technology and the indicating method are critical to your driving safety.

How A Park Assist System Alerts You

One option is video, which at first seems like a great choice. But one major flaw with having a video camera affixed to the back of your car with a monitor on your dashboard is that it also forces you to look forward while backing up. That can disturb your perception, your reaction time, and feel very unnatural. They are also extremely expensive, and you'll pay thousands of dollars to have a video system attached to your car, whether from the dealer or an aftermarket supplier.

Compare that to other bargain basement devices which actually have LED displays (little red lights) on your dashboard. These are cumbersome -- almost useless -- for much the same reason as video: when you drive in reverse, you naturally look behind you, and you'll never see the little red lights. They are also hard to read in bright sunlight.

Some other bargain technologies use a tone which beeps more rapidly as you get closer to an obstacle. You can at least hear the relative distance just by listening to the beeps, but you have to practice a bit to really understand how far you are from danger.

That's why an audible voice sensor is best. It tells you in a spoken voice exactly how far away you are. Not only do you not have to awkwardly look forward at your dashboard, you'll know without guessing how much further you can safely back up.

How A Reversing Aid Detects Objects

If you've never seen or used a reversing aid, you might be surprised at how technically advanced they actually can be.

Reversing aids use a variety of technologies to sense an object behind the car. Some units use Doppler radar, and others use infrared sensors, but by far the most accurate method of detection is the one the U.S. Navy uses on its submarines: sonar.

Sonar can operate in any weather, including direct sunlight or rain. And it doesn't require that the car be moving in order to sense an obstruction.

Gift Ideas for Car Lovers

Did you know that some folks use cars for reasons other than getting from one place to the other? Of course you did! For many owning a car, suv, or truck is an extension of their personality. It's about driving a vehicle and making a statement with it. Budget permitting some will choose the latest in suvs or trucks, while others will choose a more reasonable set of wheels.  Everyone loves their Freedom Machine and does their best to enhance and personalize it so a gift of automotive accessories is a great way to warm their heart.

So what exactly do you buy?

Well your final selection depends to some extent on your budget, but if you are short for vehicle accessory gift ideas, here are a few – a non-magnetic cell phone pad makes a great little car accessory for that dashboard – maybe an ashtray with some zing, for those who smoke and refuse to quit?, then there are the slightly more expensive accessories like seat covers, luggage carriers and removable steps for those hard to reach areas like the top of a truck. Ask yourself what kind of person you are planning to gift – you would be the best judge of that – remember when you are buying an accessories gift, or any kind of gift, try and get something that you know the person in question would love to receive, not something that you would like to get on your birthday! The dashboard cellmate in particular is a must have for every sports utility vehicle owner, who often go cross country across rough terrain. Nothing like a CellMate cell phone padto keep that mobile phone, ipod and maybe the ray ban glasses from being knocked all over the place! The custom made seat covers are a great way to personalize a vehicle. Going custom is the only way for hobbyists even if it means waiting an extra week.

Skis are one of the hardest things to fit in or on a sports vehicle. Maybe you could get your friend a ski rack if he or she is going on a ski trip with the vehicle. The ski rack goes conveniently on top of the car where they hold the skis parallel and over the vehicle, leaving ample room for other luggage. So you can see there’s something literally for everyone in terms of car accessories as personal gifts. Such a gift would no doubt be well appreciated from the receiver, and isn’t that what we want at the end of the day.

Double Lane Change Increases SUV Rollover Risk

Drivaware reports on a new double lane-change test that is designed to stimulate an emergency maneuver to determine SUV handling. The test is important because the more controllable and secure a vehicle is when pushed to its handling limits the better chance the SUV occupants will avoid an accident. In situations where an obstacle is in the way, due to the compromising nature of SUVs in general, steering around it can cause the vehicle to go out of control and result in an SUV rollover. Double lane-change SUV rollovers are more common than passenger cars because of the higher center of gravity that makes SUVs more prone to rollover, especially if swerving abruptly.

The aspect of SUV safety has most often focused on risk of rollover. The National Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has said the rate of SUV rollover is two to three times greater than a passenger car. Height of a SUV makes the vehicle more top heavy than one that sits lower, which is why consumers interested in purchasing a SUV are advised to choose one lower to the ground if not needing a vehicle with high ground clearance.

Accident avoidance is an important aspect of vehicle safety and the ability to sharply swerve to avoid hitting an object or a person. In a SUV, the sudden cornering forces or double lane-change can cause the SUV to tip onto two wheels and cause it to rollover. Especially after the Ford/Firestone SUV rollovers in 2000 left hundreds dead and even more injured, focus on SUV safety, like double lane-change SUV rollover risk, greater.

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